Heel seat fitting machine



April 23, 1946. I R. s. MEGATHLIN HEEL SEA: FITTING MACHINE Filed July 29, 1944 2 Sheetsheef 1 Inventor Ralph S. Megath/m B y /-//s Attorney April 23, 1946.- I R. s. MEGATHLIN 5 HEEL SEAT FITTING MACHINE Filed July 29, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inven tar Rd/ph 5. 'Megath/m fBy HIS After/70y Patented Apr. 23, 1946 UNITED ,STATES' PATENT-OFFICE Ralph S. Megathlin, Quincy, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Fleming j r ton, N. .L, a corporation of New Jersey l Application July 29, 1944, Serial N 547,149

8 Claims. (Cl. 12--31.5

This invention relates to heel seat fitting machines for use in the manufacture of shoesand is illustrated as embodied in an improved heel gage for use in such machines. 9

When the attaching faces of Cuban heels, the breasts of which have a substantial amount of front rake, are measured lengthwise in heel measuring gages of the general type disclosed in Figs. 1, to 7 of United States Letters Patent No. 2,053,295, granted September 8, 1936, on an application filed in the name of Fred L. Mac- Kenzia-there is a tendency for the breast of the heel being measured to slide up an opposed face of a fixed heel breast engaging plate or bar of the gage as pressure is appliedagainst the rear end of the heel by a sliding block of the gage, with the result that the heels jump out of the gage. Moreover, it has been found that heels having attaching faces of the same length but breasts of different angles of front rake, when measured in the gage disclosed in said patent, show widely diiferentreadings, largely due to the fact that the fixed heel breast engagingbar has considerable height and engages the breasts of the heels along lines spaced considerable dis-f tances from the attaching faces of the heels, the positions of said lines along the heel breasts varying in accordance with the angle of front rake of said breasts.

In order to insure against the heel jumping out of the gage, as above described, preparatory to or during the fitting of the outsole of the shoe for the reception of the heel, holddowns, such, for example, as shown in Fig. 8 of said patent, have been proposed. It has been found, how.- ever, that the heel seat fitting machine operators, who are usually on piece work, fail to use such holddowns because their useslows up the heel seat fitting operation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide, in a heel seat fitting machine, an improved heel gage in which heels, the breasts of which have different angles of front rake, may be quickly and effectively positioned and-may be measured lengthwise with sufficient accuracy.

With the above object in view and in accordance with a feature of the present invention, the illustrative heel seat fitting machine is provided with a heel measuring gage comprising a support for a heel having, for example, a fiat, forwardly raked breast, a bar fixed to the support and constructed and arranged to be engaged by the breast of the heel, a controlling unit comprising one or more members movable toward and away from the bar and constructed and arranged to co-o-perate-with the support and, the

bar in measuring the attaching face, of the heel lengthwise, alheel holddown carried by but movable with relation to the;controlling unit, and meansfor frictionally ,binding the holddown to said unit. i f

l The fixed bar of the eel. gage has'a straight, serrated or otherwise roughened work engaging ridge which is arranged approximately of an inch above the heel support, which has-the form of a table. I The depth of the attaching! face or cup of the heel is approximately, /a of an inch, and it will be apparent that theridge ofthebar will be engaged by the upper lateral portions of the breast of the heel but not by. the median portion ofzthe heel breast; In the case of; Cuban heels, the breasts of which are concave laterally, the bar will engage onlythe upper ortions of the lateral breast edges of the heel. Byprovidlng a bar such as above disclosed, the only parts of the breast of the heel in engagement with the bar are those parts which in the finished shoe arein engagement with heel breasti'eceiving shoulders formed on the outsole of the shoe. Accordingly, the serrations formed upon theridge of the bar may be sharpened to such an extent that they penetrate the heel when the heel is forced against the fixed bar, it being immaterial whetheror not portions of the breast of the heel in engagement with the bar are marked, since such portions are hidden in the finished shoe. 9 By providing the 9 bar with a sharp, serrated ridge, the tendency of nated. Moreover, by arranging the heel breast engaging ridge of the fixed, bar not more than t; of inch'above the heel engaging surface of the table, it has been found that the differences between the actual and the measured lengthwise dimensions of the attaching faces of heels having considerable front rake are negligible. 9

The illustrative holddown, whichis pivoted to aslidable block of the movable controllingunit and is secured frictionally against free movement on said block, is quickly forced into engagement with the rear surface of the heel by the operator as he places the heelin the gage. It has been found that when the friction holddown is used with a one-piece controlling unit having the form of a sliding block, such, for example, as that illus- ,trated in said Letters Patent No. 2,053,2 95,, the

operator sometimes fails to move the'rear. end of the rim ofthe attaching face of the heel against the movable block because of the presence of the friction holddown, with the" result that a back measuring -a Cubanheel rakedbreast;

stop which positions the shoe in the machine, and is controlled by the said block,,is improperly set. Because of the presence of the holddown, it is difficult for the operator readily to see whether or not the rear end of the rim of the attaching face of the heel has been moved into engagement with the block. Accordingly, the movable controlling unit of the illustrative gage comprises aslidable .block, similartothe. abo vementionedfblock disclosed in said patent} and an abutment which is pivoted to the block. When there is no heel in the gage, the abutment is swung to an idle or nongaging position away from a stop face of the block. In placing the heel in the gage, the rear end of the rim ofthe attach- 7 ing face of the heel is broughtfinto engagement with the abutment, which is swung uponthe block under pressure of the heel until it engages said the heel, and a controlling unit 38 which engages stop face of the block. In order that'theoperator can tell at a glance should the -holddown prevent the rear end of the heel from being moved to its proper gaging "position with relation to the slidable block,-- there-are secured to the block and to theabutment upstanding indicators which are in alinement when' -theabutment has moved against the stop face of -the block. When there is no heel in the heel measuring gage and the abutmentis-swung to its idle position away from thesto-p face-ofthe bloek, the indicators are out of aiinement.

By providing the-above improved heel gage, Guban heels, the breasts of which have different angles offront rake,'-can be= quickly measured with sufficient accuracy, =-wit-ho'utdanger of the heel being displaced-from the gage.

The various-features of the invention will be understood and appreciated fromthe following description read inconnectionwith the "accompanying-drawings, in which Fig.4 is a perspective view,--partly broken away and'partlyin section,of a heel measuring gage andshoe-positioningmechanism of the illustrativeheel seat'fitting machine; V

Fig. 2 is-a-side'view partly in section, of the rear portion of the heel measuring gage, there beingi no heel in-the gage;

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly broken away and partly in;-' section, of said gage in the process of having a flat, forwardly "FigA is a view on line'IV-I V ofFig. 3, the positionsof portions of a serrated ridge of a bar which-is-engaged by the breastof the heel-being indicated by dot and dash lines;

Fig. 5 'anenlarged viewshowin'g in detail a portion of the serrated bar against which the breast of the heel is forced ;-and

Fig. 6 isa perspective veiw ofthe heel "end of a finished shoe, the heel of the shoebeing shown in dash lines. j V

The illustrative machine will be described with reference to measuring lengthwise the attaching face or cup- (Fig. '3) of a Cuban heel 2Z,'-Which is to be attached to -a-fshoe 24 (Figs. 1 and 6), preparatory to positioning theshoe lengthwise in the machine 'byia bac]; gage-26 (Fig. 1). Except for hereinafter described improvements-in the heel measuring gage, the illustrativemahine is similar to the machine disclosed in United States Letters PatentfNo. 2,277,076, granted March 24,

1942, on an application filed in the name-of William S. Dallas-said machine being an-improvementupon the machine' describedfi -the abovement oned t n iq- 2&05'3295 R ferenc m -v b h d to th abov -m n pe d; natents qr a 11 the rear end of the rim 32 of the attaching face of the heel-toset, through mechanism which will .be hereinafter described, a rotatable spiral back stop. The controlling unit 38 comprises a slidable block 3'! and a heel engaging abutment 39 (Figs. 2 and 8-) which, for reasons appearing later,

is pivotally connected to the block.

The bar 36 is fulcrumed upon a shouldered bearing-pin (Fig. 1) threadedintothe machine --f-ra me'2'9and issupported in the horizontal fixed position shown in 'Fig. 1 upon'the table 23 with its inner end fittingin a notch 46 formed in an upstanding flange of the table. As above stated, the attaching face 20 of the heel 22 is measured lengthwise=between the controlling unit 38 and the fixed bar 36-and,:accor dingly, it is desirable that the =bar,-wh-ich serves as'an abutment for limiting forward movement of the heel, shall engage the forwardly raked heel breast 34 as close as practicableto the plane-of the rim 32 of the attaching face of the heel, order to minimize F difierences between the actual andthe measured lengths of theattaching faces of variou heels.

With the foregoing considerations in view, the bar 364s provided with a straight, sharply serratedor-etherwise roughened ridge 46 (Fig. 5) which is-engaged by the breast 34 of the heel and is positionedabout 1 s of an inch above the surface --30 ofthe'table 28. It will be apparent that in the above-described heel measuring gage heels which have attachingfaces of the same length but-have breasts of different forward rake will set the siidable controlling unit38, and accordingly the spiral back stop 40,-in-slightly different operative ppsitions. -It has been found, however, that by engaging the breast 34 of the heel 2'2 not more than 3 g of an inch above the surface 30 of the table {28 any differences between the actual and the-gaged. lengthwise'measurements of the attaching'face of the heel are so small that they may be disregarded.

The cupped'attach-ing faces of most heels have "adepthof'approxi-mately A; of an inch and, accordingly as, best illustrated in Fig. 4, the upper corner 'portionsof the flat breast of the heel are the'only portions of the heel breast in engagement with the bar 36. Many Cuban heels have breasts'which are concave laterally and it will be apparent that such heels-will be engaged by the ridge 46 of the bar 38 on1y along their upper breast-edge'portions. In the'finished shoe the en- 'tire surface portions of the heel breast which have been in engagement with. the bar 3% are in engagement with heel breast receiving shoulders 138 (Fig. 6) formed-upon the outsole 59 of the shoe 24- and,"accordingly, are not visible. If desirable, the ridge '46 of the bar -36 Inayibe sharply serratedto penetrate the heel sufiicientlyto eliminate substantially the danger-of the front ends of the heels; the breasts of which have considerable In ram-jumping out of t eg se. as above exgees-pee The slidable controlling unit 38 is secured initially through a screw-and-slot connection 52 to a slide movable forward and rearward in a guideway 56 (Fig. l) of the table 28; The slide 54 is operatively connectedthrough a coupling pin 58 to an upper arm to of a yoke iizwhich is swiveled upon a fulcrum pin 64 secured by a screw 66 to the machine frame 29. A lower arm 68 of the yoke 62 is provided with teeth It meshing with teeth 12 of a small pinion I 4 secured by a coupling pin I6 to the spiral back stop 49 and rotatably mounted upon the lower end of a vertical bearing stud 18 secured by a setscrew BI] to the machine frame 29. It will be apparent that the spiral back stop Mlmay be swung into different angularly adjusted positions about the stud It in accordance with the position of the slidable controlling unit 38 and, accordingly, the length of the heel in the gage. V

The slidable controlling unit 38 is constantly urged forward by a torsion spring 82 the lower end of which is attached to a stud 84 secured to a head of the pin 64 and the upper end of which is attached to a stud 85 secured to the yoke 62. Forward movement of the controlling unit -38 when there is no heel in the machine is limited by the engagement of a pin 88 mounted upon the back stop with a pin (not shown) secured to the machine frame.

As fully disclosed in said Patent No. 2,277,076,

rearward movement of the shoe in the machineis limited by engagement of a block 90, which is op eratively connected to the back gage 26, with the spiral back stop 4!). The shoe is positioned widthwise in the machine by a bifurcated centralizing gage 92 which is slidable together with and relatively to the back gage 26. When the heel-seat portion of the outsole 5!] of the shoe 24 has been positioned in the machine, the margin of said heel-seat portion is forced against a beveled face 94 of a crease plate 96 by vertically movable clamps (not shown), the central part of the heelseat portion of the outsole being forced through a U-shaped opening 98 of the crease plate while the margin of said heel-seat portion is clamped against the beveled face 94. Shoulder forming cutters I00 are then moved downward past forward edges I02 of the. crease plate 95 to form the heel breast receiving shoulders48 on the outsole 50 and a heel seat reducing cutter I04 is moved forward along a flat lower face of the crease plate into engagement with the shoulder forming cutters IIJEI to form a heel-seat tab I06 (Fig.6) on the outsole, the outsole of the shoe being so trimmed that when the heel is properly positioned upon the shoe its upper breast corner portions, which have been engaged by thebar 36, Will engage the heel breast receiving shoulders 48 formed on the outsole.

When heels, the breasts of which have considerable front rake, are forced against ahigh,

frusto-conical surface of a front plate or bar of a heel gage such as illustrated in said Patent No. 2,053,295, or against a high, upstanding surface of a heel breast engaging bar of a' gage such as illustrated in said Patent No. 2,277,076, there is a tendency, as above stated, for the heel, forced forward by a sliding block corresponding to the controlling unit 38, to ride up over the heel breast engaging bars, especially when there is considerable vibration in the machine. Moreover, as previously stated, such bars are objectionable because they engage the heel breast too far away from the plane of the rim of the attaching face of the heel and therefore cannot be used satisriding up over the .bar.

facto'rily' fasabutments in -'a gage for a'ccurately measuring the lengths'ofthe attaching faces of heels, the breasts ofwhich have "considerable front rake, By providing the bar 36 having the sharply serrated ridge 46 spaced 1 0f an inch from the surface 30 ofthe table 28, the attach ing faces of heels, the breasts of whichhave different forward'rakes, may be measured in the gage with sufiicient accuracy. Moreover, the spring 82 may be strengthened so that the heel'is forced'against the sharp serrations of the ridge 4Iiof thebar 36 with pressure great enough sub-. stantiallyto' eliminate the danger of the heel In order, however, to insure against theheel being displaced in the gage, there is mounted upon a pin I08 carried by upstanding lugs I08 of the slidable block.3'I a holddown IIil which may be quickly and. effectively swung into engagement with therear face of the heel by the operator as he placesthe heel in the gage. The holddown III! is frictionally secured to the slidable block 37 by fiber pieces H2 (Fig- 2) which fit in bores H4 of the holddown and are forced with the desired amount of pressure against bosses of the upstanding lugs I09 of the blockfil by screws H6 threaded into the bores. It has been found that when the slidable one-piece block 3'! .with the. friction holddown ,I It]. is ,relied upon to force the heel against the fixed bar 36, saidholddown is sometimes swung against the heel before the rim of the attaching, face of the heel has been moved into engagement with the block, with theresult that thew-heelis held away from the block by said holddown. In order to insure that the heel, when it is.measured lengthwise in the gage, shall always assume the same position with relation to the slidable block 37, the controlling unit 38, in addition to the block 31, comprises the above-mentioned abutment39 which is pivoted upon the pin; I08 between the upstanding lugs I09 of the block 3!. The abutment 39 is so constructed and is so supported upon the pin I08 that when there is no heel in the machine it moves to its idle position, shown in Fig. 2, away from a face I25 of the block; an endportionof a pinor indicator I22 secured to the abutment at such time being out of alinement with an end portion of a pin or indicator I24secured to the block 31. When the rear end of the heel is forced against the abutment 39, said abutment, under pressure of the heel, swings into engagement with the face I29 of the block, assuming the position shown in Fig.

' 3, the end of the pin I22 of the abutment at such time being in alinement with the end of the pin I24 on the block 31. The pins I22 and I24 inform the operator at a glance when the abutment 39 is not in engagement with the face I20 of the blocks! and, accordingly, when the heel is not'in its proper position with relation to the sliding block 31;,of the controlling unit 38. In order to insure against the heel moving away from the table 28 under pressure of the abutment 39, a forward face I26 of said abutment extends forward over the rear end of the heel, the amount of forward overlap of said face increasing as the abutment is swung rearward into its operative gaging position, shown in Fig. 3.

Having described my invention, what I claim .as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a heel seat fitting machine, a heel gage structed and-arranged to be engaged by the rim of the attaching face of the heel, abar having a ridge which is constructedand arranged to be engaged by the upper breast corner portions. of the breast of the heel but not by other portions of the heel, said ridge being spaced from the support by a distance not greater than the height ofheel breast receiving, shoulders of a soletobe engaged in afinished shoe bythe upper breast corner portions of the breast of the heel, and a member constructed and arranged to: engagethe rear end of the heel, said bar and said member being capable of relative approaching movement to measure the heel lengthwise.

2. In a heel seat fitting machine, a heel gage for measuring lengthwise the attaching face of a Cuban heel having a flat breast, said gage comprising a tabl constructed and arranged to be engaged. by the rim of the attaching face of the heel, a fixed bar having a straight serrated ridge spaced from the table and constructed andarranged to be engaged by the upper corner Dortion of the breast of the heel but not by other portions of the heel, and a movable member constructed and arrangedto engage the rear end of the. rim of the attaching face of the heel and to force said heel against the ridge of the bar in order to measure the heel lengthwise.

' 3. In a heel seat fitting machine,.a= heel gage comprising a support for a heel,.a fixed bar constructed and arranged to be engaged by thebreast of the heel, a controlling unit movable toward and away from said fixedbar and constructed and arranged to co-operate with the support and the bar to measure the attaching face of the heel lengthwise, a. holddown pivotally connected to the movable controlling unit, and means for frictionally binding the holddown to said unit, said holddown being movable against the rear end of the heel to force the latter against said" bar to insure against movement of the front end of the heel away from said support.

e ,4. In a heel seat fitting machine, a support for a heel, a fixed bar shaped and arranged to be engaged by thebreast of the heel, a block movable toward and away from said bar, a holddown mounted for movement upon the'block and held frictionally against free movement with relation to said block, an abutment which is pivoted to said block and has a portion constructed and arranged to be engaged by the rear end of the heel and to be swung by pressure of the heel into a gaging position against said block, an indicator securedto the block, and an indicator which is secured to the abutment and is alined with the indicator on the block when said abutment is in its gaging position. I

5. In a heel seat fitting machine, a heel measuring gage comprising a table constructed and arranged to be engaged by the rim of the attaching face of a heel, a fixed bar, a slidable block, a heel downdown which is'pivotally connected to the block and which is frictionally bound to but movable under pressure with relation to said block, an abutment pivotally connected to the block and movable under pressure of the rear end of the heel to a gagaing position in engagement with a face of said block, means for moving the block toward the fixed bar to cause the attaching face of the heel to be measuredlengthwise between the abutment and the bar, and indicators connected to the abutment and to the block respectively, said indicators being arranged in a predetermined conspicuou position when said abutment is in engagement with said face of the block.

6. In a heel seat fitting machine, a heel measuring gage comprising a table having a surface constructed and arranged to be engaged by the rim of theattaching face of a Cuban heel. a bar fixed to the table and having a serrated ridge which is spaced slightly from said surface of the table and is constructed and arranged to be engaged by the upper corner portions of the breast of the heel, a member slidable toward the bar to force the upper corner portions of the breast of the heel against said ridge'of the bar and to cooperate with the bar and the table in measuring the attaching faceof the heel lengthwise, a holddown pivoted to the movable member, and means for frictionally securing the holddown against free movement on said member, said holddown being movable against the rear face of the heel and being constructed and arranged to co-operate with the serrated ridge of the bar to insure against movement of the breast portion of the heel away from the table.

7. In a heel seat fitting machine, a heel measuring gage comprising a table having a flat surface constructed and arranged to be engaged by the rim of the attaching face of a Cuban heel, a fixed barhaving a serrated ridge which is spaced slightly from the table and is constructed and arranged to be engaged by upper corner portions of the breast of the heel, a block constructed and arranged for movement along the table toward and away from said bar, a back stop for positioning lengthwise in the machine a shoe to which the heel. i to be attached, connections between the back stop and the block, an abutment pivoted to the movable block and constructed and arranged to be engaged by the rear end of the rim of the attaching face of the heel and to be swung into a gaging position in engagement with an opposed face of said block, a holddown fulcrumed upon the block, means constructed and arranged frictionally to secure the holddown to the block but to permit the holddown to be moved against the rear end of the heel so as to cause the holddown to co-operate With said abutment and said bar in holding the heel in position upon the table, and indicators secured to the block and to the abutment respectively, said indicator being in alinement When the abutment is in engagement with said opposed face of the block.

8. In a heel seat fitting machine, a heel measuring gage, said gage comprising a support constructed and arranged to be engaged by the rim of the attaching face of a heel, a fixed bar havin a ridge spaced from the support and constructed and arranged to be engaged by the upper corner portions of the breast of the heel but not by other portionscf the heel, and a movable member constructed and arranged. to engage the rear end of the rim of the attaching face of the heel and to force said heel against the ridge of the bar in order to measure the heel lengthwise.

RALPH S. MEGATHLIN. 

